Up and down the Gunflint Trail, I am hearing reports that the smallmouth bass are on the spawning beds. Most fishermen are using surface lures such as poppers. Pound for pound, smallmouth bass have more fight in them than most other fish. If you have a young fisherman in your family, this is the perfect way to get them hooked on fishing. Every fish they hook feels like a lunker.

In addition the walleyes and lake trout continue to bite. Bob Baker at Gunflint Pines says that walleyes on Saganaga have been doing well on leeches and crawlers. He also said that lake trout on North Lake have been biting on stick baits. Luana Brandt at Nor'Wester Lodge reports that fishing is great for walleyes and lake trout at secret spots. Apparently her staff has really gotten into fishing. The guys fix up all the rods and lures and give them to the girls who catch all the fish. Remember too that as our waters warm up the lake trout are going into deeper water. They like about 50 degree tempeatures and follow the cooler water down as the top waters warm up.

Sue Ahrendt from Tuscarora Lodge reminded me that a series of seminars will be going on all over the Gunflint Trail this summer. Basically they revolve around a new program of the Gunflint Trail outfitters called Becoming A Boundary Waters Family. The outfitters have even put out a book by this name that is packed with practical information on taking your family on a canoe trip. Considering the authors of the book, this is expert advice. You can also get information about this program on their website, www.becomingaboundarywatersfamily.com

It seems like there has been an explosion in the moose population all along the Gunflint Trail. For the past weeks I have been regularly reporting moose sightings. Usually the number os sightings starts to slow down as there are more tourists on the Trail. For some reason, people are still seeing lots and lots of moose. Ted Young at Poplar Creek Bed and Breakfast reported about guests who were hung up by a moose on Horseshoe Lake just where it narrows on the way to Vista Lake. After an hour they crept along the furtherest shoreline to get around the moose.

Luana Brandt has also reported that the blueberry bushes are full of white blossoms. Now it is down to the correct mixture of a little rain and a little sunshine for a great crop. Luana's mother-in-law, Alis, used to be the #1 blueberry picker on the Trail. Those berries were then turned into to awesome blueberry pies. Luana learned the pie-making area very well from Alis. So long about the last week of July start checking your favorite secret spots for blueberries.